Bullying is a real problem in our society today. Left unaddressed, it can lead to serious consequences and sometimes, unfortunately, tragedies. It’s well known that Jiu-Jitsu can be a tool to help kids stand up to bullies, but how? Here are 7 reasons why the gentle art actually helps kids to deal with abusive colleagues.
1) Self-confidence repels cowards
A bully is a coward. He or she identifies those who lack self-confidence and prey on it. Jiu-Jitsu gives kids the self-confidence to stand up for themselves at the moment of the first approach, usually a verbal one. Once you know that you can defend yourself, you will let the bully know right away and they will usually back off.
2) An antidote to fear and insecurity
There are two main ingredients to bullying: fear and insecurity. The fearful is usually the victim and the insecure is usually the aggressor that seeks confrontation to hide their own feeling of weakness. The gentle art will teach kids to defend themselves when necessary and help them deal with fear. At the same time, it will address insecurity and help that aggressive kid to be more confident, polite and respectful.
3) Respect for differences
There’s no room for prejudice on the mat. As you have to actually prove yourself against all sorts of people, you quickly realize that we are all equal in our shortcomings and potentials. The difference lies on how much work we put in to neutralize one and boost the other. This notion will most likely accompany the child outside the academy as well.
*graciemag article